Stringed musical instrument



(N0 MOdGl- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

o. A. vMLLS'FPMALl STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 856,971. r .Y y Patented Feb.1,188f7.

` (No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

C. A. AHLSTROM.

STRINGBD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 356,971. l Patented Feb. 1, 1887.

N. PETERS, Photnlumogrzpher. wnhmgiun, D. i:4

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. AHLSTROM, OF JAMESTOVN, NEV YORK.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,971, dated February 1, 1887.

Q Application filed November 24, 1886. Serial No. 219,820. (No model.) I

To all wwnt it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLEsAAHLsTRoM, of Jamestown, in the county ot" Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable' used in connection therewith, and the pianoaction with the under damper, which is oper-- ated by means of the arm and button which are attached to the damper-block; second,the combination, in the piano action, of the damper-lever provided with an extension, a regulating-screw, and a button with the main arm or prop, the under damper-block pivoted in position so as to have a turning movement, a spring for returning the block to position after being moved, and the under damper, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The objects of my invention are to use, in connection with the regular strings for each note, one or more sympathetic strings, which are tuned in unison therewith, and which sympathetic strings vibrate when the regular strings are struck, agitated, or used, and thus produce sounds or tones that are not iniiuenced in their character by the nature of the hammer or means employed to agitate or strike the regular strings, thereby creating a greater volume and a purer tone than can be obtained where only the regular strings are used, to employ a separate and distinct set of dampers for each. note, and thus dampen the regular and the sympathetic strings at the same time, and to employ a metallic agrafte for each note, and which is screwed into theiron frame, and which has four separate and distinct bearingstwo for each string employed.

Figure l is a vertical detail section of a piano` to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a planview of the strings and the under Ydampers, showing the relative Positions of the strings in relation to each other, the piano-action being removed.

A represents an ordinary metallic frame, such asis used'in pianos; B,fan ordinary pianoaction; C, an ordinary sounding-board bridge, which is placed upon the sounding-board D. The metallic frame, the sounding-board, the bridge O,.and the action 'B are all old, and hence need not be more fully described in this connection.

In the present instance I prefer to use three regular strings, d, for each note; but either a larger or smaller n umbcr may be used, ifso preferred. These regular strings E are fastened at one end tothe iron frame, passed through the metallic fastenings upon the bridge G, and then through the metallic agraffe F, which is screwed into the iron frame A, as shown in Fig. l. In connection with the regular strings E for each note, I use one, two, or more sympathetic strings, G, which are separated sufficiently far 'from the regular strings E so as not to be struck by the hammer H, or other means used to agitato or strike the regular -strings E when the instrument is used. These sympathetic strings G are also fastened at one end and pass through the metallic attachments to the bridge 0, and then through the agrai'e F in the same manner as the regular strings. These sympathetic strings G are tuned in unison withthe regular strings E by means of the usual tuning-pins, I, and when the regular strings E are struck or agitated give forth a unisonant sound, which greatly increases the duration, quantity, and quality of the tone.

The damper J is of the ordinary construction, and forms part of the action B and dampens the sound of the regular strings E inl the usual manner. Rigidly secured to the damperblock B is the arm or extension Kvhich projects a suitable distance beyond the end of the block, and through which is passed a regulating-screw, L, which has fastened to its inner end the regulatingbutton N, of the ordinary construction. This button Nis made to brace against a connecting arm or prop, O, which extends outward from the under damper-block IOO between the strings of each note, as shown in Fig. 2, and which arm or prop O serves to operate the under damper-block, P, which is pivoted to the metallic rail Q., which extends across the frame under the strings. This rail has a series oi" extensions which catch in suitable grooves in the blocks P, and through these extensions are passed screws It, which serve to clamp or hold the clamps S to the undersideof therail, and between the extensions and the clamps are passed the pivotal pins T, upon which tne blocks P turn. Connected to one end of the damper-blocks P are the felt dainpers U, which serve to dampen the sounds ofthe sympathetic strings G at the same time that the damper J serves to dampen the sounds of the regular strings E. In order to return cach damper-block to position after it has been moved, there is attached to each block, at the opposite end from the damper U, a suitable spring, V, which has its freeend to bear upon the top ot the rail Q, and thus instantly return the block P to position as soon as it is left free to move. Vhen the button Nstrikes the arm or prop O, thc resistance of the spring V is overcomeaud the block P is made to turn upon its pivot T, and thus move the felt damper U away from the sympathetic strings G, and thus leave them 1" recto vibrate. When the damperbloek B is returned to position by means of the spring C, t-he button N is made to press against the arm or prop O, and thus cause the block P to turn upon its pivot, and thus press the felt damper U in contact with the sympathetic strings G, so as to dampen their vibrations. lVhen the button N does not bear against the rarm O, the spring V causes the block P to turn upon its pivot and move the felt damper U out of contact with the sympathetic strings.

For each set of regular strings E and their accompanying sympathetic strings G there is provided a separate agrafte, F,which is screwed into the iron trame A, as shown in Fig. l.l The top of each one of these agraffes is recessed at its center, so as to form two bearing-edges upon opposite sides, and through these bearingedges are formed openings, as shown, so that the regular and sympathetic strings can be given a double bearing in the agrafi'e without coming in Contact or interfering with each otherin any manner. rIhese openings through the opposite sides of the agrafte allow the regular and sympathetic strings to be separated sufficient-ly far from each other to prevent the strings G from being struck by the hammer H. rlhe sympathetic strings G cross the regular strings E in passing through the agraft'e, as shown in Fig. l. Both the regular and the sympathetic strings are the saine length between the agrafte F and the sounding-board bridge C, and being tuned in unison,when the strings E arestruck or agitated by any means, the strings Gare made to vibrate in unison by contact with the sounding-board bridge.

Piano-fortes manufactured at the present sympathetically musical sounds or tones 8o that are not influenced in their character by the nature ot' the hammer or means employed to agitate the strings, thereby creating audible and musical vibrations. I-By adding one or more sympathetic strings or unisons to each 8 note, placing said strings in iirm contact with both the sounding-board bridge itself and through such parts as are commonly known as the bridge-pins, or sounding-boardbridge agrafte,77 or metal parts driven into or 9o attached to the sounding-board bridge, for t-he purpose of holding the strings in their respective positions on the sounding-board bridge, so that when the regular strings usually employed in musical instruments, and piano- 9 fortes especially,are agitated or touched by any suitable means, causing or exciting said regular strings into audible vibrations or musical sounds, said vibrations from the regular strings, of both equal duration and intensity, are communicated to and reproduced by the sympathetic strings so added. rPhe sympathetic strings being tuned in unison with the regular strings, the agitation created by and from the regular strings while the instrument is being played upon puts the sympathetic duplex strings in free and powerful vibration, producing a unisonant sound with the regular strings when simultaneously or jointly employed, increasing the duration, the quantity, and the quality of tone of each note to such an extent that a portion of the regular strings now alone employed in pianos, and which produce a harsher tone, can be dispensed with, and in their place utilize the sympathetic duplex strings of greater singing and penetrating tone quality, and thereby greatlyincrease the durability and musical possibilities of the instrument. The quadruplex bearing agrade, already described, is indispensable to t my improvement for holding each string in its proper position and giving iirmness and ref source to the tone ofthe instrument.

I am aware that the use of sympathetic strings, auxiliary to the main strings, is old, r2

and this I do not broadly claim. D

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination of the regular strings for each note, the sympathetic strings used in 13o connection therewith, and the piano-action with the under damper, which is operated by IOO IIO

means of the arm K and button, which are a spring for returning the block to position, attached to the damper-block B,substantial1y and the damper U, substantially as shown. xo as set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 2. The combination, in a piano-action, of presence of two Witnesses. the damper-lever provided with the extension K, regulating-screw L, and button, with the Witnesses: arm or prop O, the damper-block P, pivoted in position so as to have a. turning movement,

CHARLES A. AHLSTROM.

B. LEWIS BLAoKFoRD. F. A. LEHMANN, 

